Where does “tergiversans” come from?
tergiversans (Latin) comes from Latin tergiversor, from Latin versor, from Latin versō, from Latin vertō, from Proto-Italic wertō, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
tergiversans (Latin): evading
Ancestry of “tergiversans”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | tergiversor | I turn my back and am reluctant; I evade |
| 2 | Latin | versor | I turn myself around; I move around; I dwell,... |
| 3 | Latin | versō | — |
| 4 | Latin | vertō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | wertō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |